Right on cue, Lily burst into tears.
"Juliet, if you don't want it, fine. Why say something so scary? It's my fault. I shouldn't have tried to help. I'll never be nice again!"
Instant waterworks. Instant audience.
Hampton's d roommates immediately gathered around her.
"She's jealous. Trying to humiliate you."
"Lily, you're too sweet. Don't let Juliet bully you."
Hampton's face iced over. He shoved the pill into my mouth.
"Lily cares about you and you're still nitpicking? I didn't know you were this unreasonable. This ungrateful."
The tablet melted fast. Sickly sweet. Bitter underneath.
Pressure climbed up my chest. Every breath dragged against something sharp lodged in my heart.
My vision blurred. I couldn't tell what hurt more—the poison or his voice.
Two years.
When he had competitions, I ran across the city to twenty-three supply stores for parts. Stayed up building models until my fingers blistered.
When he studied for grad exams, I camped at the library at five a.m. to save him a seat. Typed up a hundred thousand words of review notes while my own thesis stalled.
Last summer, I took a falling surveying instrument for him.
And this is what I got. A pill forced down my throat. A casual "unreasonable."
"Hampton... we're done."
The words scraped out of me. I pulled out my phone and dialed my doctor on instinct.
"I'm at Aramont University auditorium. My heart—"
A hand ripped the phone away.
He powered it off. "You done? Who are you threatening with a breakup? Jealous, causing a scene, trying to waste public resources? Ambulances are for people who actually need them."
Metal filled my mouth. I clenched my teeth.
"I can't hold on. Give me the battery. Call an ambulance."
The pacemaker shrieked.
6 percent.
The number burned into my eyes. My heart stuttered, drowning between beats.
A student nearby leaned in. "She looks really bad. Is she okay?"
"Help me..." My lips moved. No sound.
Hampton cut in. "She's throwing a tantrum. Sleeps at midnight, up at five. Running around for months. She's not fragile. She's acting. Ignore it."
The student hesitated—then stepped back.
The ceiling lights spun, splitting into warped colors.
My heartbeat raced. Then stalled. Each throb stabbed like needles.
"I'm not acting... check my pulse." I forced my arm up, biting my lip until I tasted blood.
The hand that grabbed my wrist wasn't his.
It was Lily's.
She crouched beside me. From everyone else's angle, she looked worried.
Up close? Cold. Smug.
"Juliet, don't panic. I'll check your pulse for Hampton." Her voice dripped sugar.
"Let go..."
Her red nails pressed into my skin. She leaned in, whispering so only I could hear.
"Juliet Bowen, you're such an eyesore. Hogging Hampton like you earned him. Tell me—if I scream right now, who do you think he'll believe? You... or me?"
Before I could react, her nails dug straight into my wrist.
Everything froze. My mind blanked. My limbs went numb. My heart slammed so hard it felt stuck in my throat.
Dying does that. It flips a switch.
I kicked.
My foot barely brushed her before she clutched her stomach and dropped backward like her bones dissolved.
"Ah! It hurts!"
"Juliet Bowen! Are you insane?" Hampton shoved me aside and scooped Lily up. "Bullying her in front of everyone?"
My back smashed against the metal edge of a chair. Pain detonated under my ribs. My vision went black. I couldn't breathe.
In his arms, Lily whimpered, "My ribs... I think they're broken. Does Juliet hate me? She didn't have to kick me that hard..."
Hampton turned and kicked my shin.
"Stop playing dead. Get up and apologize."
The crowd lost it.
"She seemed so gentle."
"Didn't know she was this vicious."
"Competing with a freshman like this? Trying to ruin her?"
"Lily's crying and she's pretending to faint?"
My heart still wouldn't steady.
After a few ragged breaths, I forced the words out.
"She... She dug her nails into my wrist..."
Lily's sobs shot louder, drowning me.
"I was just helping you relax! How can you accuse me? Did I upset you? I'll change, okay? I'll change!"
Hampton's face tightened. "Juliet, you've really disappointed me. I even adjusted the program schedule for you. And now you're strong enough to kick someone across the floor? You've been faking it this whole time."
One of his dorm bros piped up, "Mr. Thompson's here! Perfect. Kick her out—she's killing the mood."
The pacemaker shrieked again. Louder.
3 percent.
My eyes burned. I ignored everything and grabbed the nearest guy's pant leg with shaking fingers.
"Michael... my pacemaker's dying. Please... help me find a battery..."
Michael. Our class rep.
He yanked his leg away like I'd stained it.
"Stop acting, Juliet. Everyone saw you kick Lily so hard she can't stand. You don't get to play helpless now. Just admit you were wrong."
He shook his head. Disappointed.
My hand dropped to the cold floor.
A tear slid from the corner of my eye.
It's over.
"What's going on? Why's everyone crowded here?" The voice cut through the noise—Mr. Thompson, the student affairs advisor.
I jerked my head up, nails digging into my palm to stay awake. "Mr. Thompson... help me..."
He froze when he saw my face—white as paper, hair plastered to my forehead—then rushed over and caught me.
"What happened? Why are you this pale? Someone call 911!"
I opened my mouth. Nothing.
Breathing alone drained whatever I had left.
Through the chaos, one sharp, wounded voice rose above the rest.
"Don't crowd me... my ribs..."
Hampton stepped in front of Lily like her personal bodyguard, blocking everyone out. Then he looked at Mr. Thompson.
"Sir, don't worry about Juliet. She's faking it. Trying to scam Lily with this stunt."
Lily's eyes filled on cue. "Mr. Thompson, I'm sorry. It's my fault. I borrowed Juliet's battery to charge the music player. I didn't want to mess up the show. Maybe she's mad about that."
Right. Of course she is.
Mr. Thompson frowned at me. "Juliet, how can you be so petty? Lily was thinking about the group."
Lily turned saintly. "Please don't be upset. It's all my fault. Juliet, let's shake hands and forget it, okay?"
One hand on her ribs, the other grabbed my limp fingers before I could move.
Head down.
Smile sharp as a blade.
A rasp scraped out of my throat. I needed him to see her.
Then Lily shrieked and flung my hand away like I'd electrocuted her.
"Juliet! I already apologized and you're still pinching me!"
She held up her wrist. A bright red mark glared under the stage lights.
Before Mr. Thompson could blink, Hampton stormed over and slapped me.
Smack.
The whole room went quiet.
Half my face went numb. My ears rang. Still nothing compared to my chest.
Hampton pointed at me. "Juliet! Are you insane? You touch her in front of a teacher? Apologize. Now."
A guy nearby chucked his latte at me.
Cold coffee ran down my hair and face. Sticky. Gross. I couldn't even lift a hand to wipe it off.
"Stop faking it!" he yelled. "If you're that sick, how'd you pinch her hard enough to leave a mark?"
Mr. Thompson's face went ice-cold. "Juliet, you've disappointed me. Don't bother applying for this year's national scholarship."
He pointed backstage. "You two—take her back there. Let her calm down. I'm calling her parents tomorrow."
The noise blurred.
In my head, the 1 percent battery warning screamed.
I gripped the metal chair leg with everything I had.
"No... my dad's a general... I'm going to the base tomorrow... to lay flowers..."
They laughed.
"Did boot camp mess you up or something? A general? Lay flowers? That's for fallen soldiers' families. Who do you think you are?"
"Even a security guard wouldn't claim you."
Hampton sneered and fisted my hair, yanking me back. "Keep lying. You're spending the night in detention."
Beep—
One long, flat tone.
My heart jerked once. Then nothing.
Black swallowed everything. Warmth slid from the corner of my mouth. My head dropped.
The auditorium doors slammed open.
The music cut off mid-beat.
A roar shook the room.
"Let go of my daughter!"
Doctors in white coats rushed in with a stretcher, straight for me.
"Pacemaker failure. Cardiac arrest!"
"Start CPR. Prep defibrillation!"
"One milligram epinephrine. IV push!"
